BEIRUT — Planes streamed into the airport here Thursday, marking the end to Israel's economy-choking, eight-week air blockade of the country. But Israel announced that it was not yet lifting restrictions on sea traffic as planned.

"Unfortunately, we don't yet have a presence at the naval level that can implement an arms embargo," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. He said the sea blockade would remain in effect until United Nations forces were in place to patrol the Lebanese coast.

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of Lebanon said Thursday that he expected Israel to lift the sea blockade on Friday.

The mixed signals, which forced frustrated fishermen back to shore less than an hour after beginning their first foray out to sea since July, angered Lebanese officials and interrupted a round of celebratory speeches at the country's Parliament building, where lawmakers were ending a six day-old sit-in staged to protest the blockade.

French warships are already stationed offshore and Greek, British and Italian naval ships are expected to arrive within days to help patrol the coast until German ships arrive in two weeks to take over the task.

Lebanon's transportation minister, Mohammed al-Safadi, said hundreds of ships, diverted from reaching the country during the war, were waiting in ports around the region.

Lebanese officials have said the blockade was costing the country $45 million a day.

But Israel said that the United Nations had not yet decided who is in command of the multinational naval force and that it would not lift the blockade until the issue was settled.

The lifting of the aerial blockade will bring a measure of relief to the war- stricken country and sets the first test for the UN peacekeeping force charged with keeping arms shipments from reaching Hezbollah fighters.

Signaling the resumption of normal air traffic, a commercial flight by the national carrier Middle East Airlines circled central Beirut three times at 6:04 p.m., four minutes after the embargo was over, in a ceremonial show. The flight, from Paris, then landed at Beirut's airport.

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As it taxied down the runway, someone in the cockpit waved a large red-and-white Lebanese flag, with its distinctive green cedar tree emblem, out a window. The landing was followed by that of a Kuwait Airways plane, which also hung a Lebanese flag out its cockpit window.

Israel had come under international pressure to lift the blockade, which threatened to derail a UN-brokered cease-fire that ended 34 days of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. The blockade hampered rebuilding efforts in Lebanon, which is almost completely dependent on imports.

The Israeli Army had strong reservations about lifting the blockade without linking it to the release of two soldiers, whose capture by Hezbollah guerrillas on July 12 triggered the war, military officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The blockade hampered rebuilding efforts after the Israeli offensive that killed hundreds of Lebanese, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and ravaged bridges and other infrastructure. It caused severe fuel shortages in Lebanon, leading to long lines at gas stations and forcing the rationing of electric power.

Thousands of Lebanese families who fled the fighting are expected to return home before the start of the school year next month, and UN aid agencies have welcomed Israel's decision to lift the blockade.

In recent weeks, some supply ships had been allowed to dock after coordinating with Israel, easing the fuel crisis and allowing highest electricity authority to lift some rationing.

Israel had also been allowing aid flights into Beirut's airport, as well as commercial flights by Middle East Airlines and Royal Jordanian - but only coming from Jordan, an Arab country that has a peace treaty with Israel.

Airlines from around the Arab world planned to resume flights Friday or Saturday, and Lufthansa said it was closely monitoring the situation and expected to act soon. $@